Nintendo To Cease Neglecting Europe?

Speaking with GamesIndustryBiz, Nintendo Europe marketing boss Jim Merrick stated that NCL is to focus more on the territory, with both the Game Boy Micro and new Zelda releasing before year end:

And we're definitely going to see both of those this side of Christmas in Europe?

You've got it. One of the strategies that Nintendo is really aggressively employing is the more global strategy - it's not to always assume that Europe is last, that Europe is months or years late on getting product. It's a difficult thing to accomplish. We think that people don't understand that adding seven languages to Animal Crossing does delay the game a bit... But that said, we are not going to be two years late, as we were with Animal Crossing on GameCube, on any other products.

Even last year, Zelda: Minish Cap launched first in Europe - before Japan, before the USA. We're doing that increasingly, looking at where the best opportunities in the market are globally, not the assumption that it'll be Japan, then US, then Europe.

And you know, from a practical standpoint, Europe is the only market that's growing. Year on year we have phenomenal growth in Europe, and there's tremendous potential here. Er, there. We're here. You know what I mean! [laughs]

Jim is a nice bloke, but having worked for NoE, I doubt things will change any time soon.

Update: Who'd a thunk it? Europe being left till last for Revolution's release?